Slice of Life - Trying Out Mentor Texts

I love participating in Slice of Life, started by Two Writing Teachers and writing a story, reflection, or musing at least once a week.

  I'm planning on using lots of mentor texts to give my students models for writing their Slices of Life this year.  We're going to try out lots of ideas. Yesterday, I read My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray,  and we picked out various craft choices - circular structure, repetitive phrases, followed the seasons, hyphenated adjectives and verbs.  Students can try all of the craft choices, a few, or even change them up a bit to fit the person they're writing about and the tone they want.

 

I got as far as spring this week.  I'm going to work on the rest for next Tuesday.


My Dad Has a Country Heart


My dad has a country heart
and he shared that heart with me.

With lanky legs and strong hands
worn blue jeans
and a carton of cigarettes
rolled up in a sleeve
like James Dean
he'd grin and say:
"We've got to
get outside
and do a little work.
There are horses
to feed
fish to be caught
and ducks to be brought in.
Let's go!"
And so we did.

When spring came along
and the ice turned to mud
and forsythia started blooming
at the end of the lane
it was time to go
to the Mt. Healthy Hatchery
to pick up a dozen
chicks
or ducklings.

We'd hop in
the truck and zoom-vroom
on over there
me excited
my brain zip-zapping
about what little treasures
we'd bring home
for the fair season.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the kids write!